The legal bill paid by Waltham Forest council during its prosecution for failing to protect its staff from deadly asbestos cost the taxpayer £50,500, it has emerged.  

The authority was fined £66,000 last month after pleading guilty to four charges relating to asbestos in the basement of the Forest Road town hall.  

Despite warnings dating back to 2002 the council failed to act, leaving staff and visitors exposed to the cancer-causing substance. 

The authority was also ordered to pay court costs of £16,000 to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which brought the prosecution.  

A Freedom of Information Act disclosure has now revealed the council paid £50,500 to hire QC Mr Richard Matthews to represent it in court. 

Dr Nick Tiratsoo and Trevor Claver submitted the original freedom of information request which eventually led to the discovery of the asbestos.  

They were told documents requested could not be disclosed because they were contaminated by the deadly substance. 

Mr Tiratsoo said he believes the overall legal costs incurred by the council would have been higher than the disclosed figure.  

He said: “I bet the true figure is a lot higher, but whatever the case, this is yet another appalling waste of public money.  

“The council was banged to rights, and pleaded guilty on all counts.  

"Why then did it need to employ a barrister who is apparently ‘widely regarded as the foremost regulatory and corporate defence Queen’s Counsel in England and Wales’? 

“Talk about throwing good money after bad.”  

It was revealed in court that the council spent more than £300,000 repairing the basement and clearing the asbestos.